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ForteFemme: Women's Dominance Weekend Intensive

"I learned to be unafraid of the woman that lurks inside me... a force to be reckoned with. That is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received, and I thankful to Midori every day for it."Vanessa Pinto, "Continually Seducing Consent: ForteFemme by Midori", Huffington Post.

"As for where you go from here... if you're in San Francisco or you can get there for a weekend, you wanna sign up for Forte Femme, a weekend-long 'sensual dominance intensive' hosted by kink superstar/supernova Midori." -Dan Savage, Savage Love

Do you seek authentic empowerment, confidence and pleasure with a bit of edge in your erotic life? Would you like to be the best sensual dominant you can be? Are you seeking education that's real and practical with skills that will serve you the rest of your life?

ForteFemme is a weekend-long intensive workshop led by international sexuality educator Midori that will transform your ideas about sensual dominance and erotic empowerment.

Literally, forte means "strong." In fencing, forte is the strongest part of the sword; in music, it means that the instruments should be played not just loudly, but at their strongest, most heroic levels. At ForteFemme, you'll discover your own strength and find that it can be elegant, feminine, and authentically you. During this weekend of personalized instruction, Midori will guide you in learning how power play can bring sensual pleasure and new intimacy to your relationship with your partner.

Each weekend is limited to ten women and held in luxurious venues chosen for privacy and comfort. Through discussion, demonstration, and personalized instruction, you and your fellow students will learn how to negotiate limits and desires, how to orchestrate a scene, essential techniques, and much more. In addition, you will explore the emotional and psychological issues of BDSM in a loving relationship.

If you have a partner, we encourage them to join in the Lab segment on Sunday afternoon as well as the Saturday night field trip.

Building on the concepts taught in Midori's two-hour class,"The Art of Feminine Dominance," this weekend intensive allows you to go beyond and to have Midori work with you in a much more personal and hands-on fashion than her classes normally allow. From Friday night to Sunday afternoon, you will be immersed in a safe, private and supportive environment exploring what it means to find and enjoy your power as a dominant femme. Midori's uniquely-designed curriculum takes a "Head-Heart-Hands" approach that integrates the eroticism of your mind and body, as well as of your partner, instead of trying to teach you one-size-fits-all scripts or focusing on technique.

Our venues are always selected to maximize students' comfort and confidentiality. The San Francisco ForteFemme will be held in a large, private suite at the Hyatt Regency, a four-star hotel. The staff have been told that the event is a women's empowerment weekend and asked not to disturb the seminar, insuring your complete privacy. The New York ForteFemme will be held in an elegant private loft in the Murray Hill/Midtown South area. Discreet, comfortable and accessible. It's near many hotels and lovely restaurants.

All catering will be handled by ForteFemme staff, with vegetarian options available upon request.

All workshops include:
• Original text book
• Continental breakfast
• Lunch
• Afternoon snacks and refreshments
• Sexy goodies donated by our sponsors, The Pleasure Chest and J.T.’s Stockroom.
• An optional guided field trip to some of Midori’s favorite stores and play spaces in the city, including dinner with Midori and your fellow students. (Each student is responsible for her own shopping and dinner expenses.)

As a renowned educator in sexuality, alternative erotic expression and self development, Midori is uniquely qualified to lead this weekend intensive and to empower you to find your inner femme. Spend some time with Midori investing in yourself and your relationship.

Whether you are a nervous novice or a seasoned veteran, this weekend provides you with depth and quality learning like nothing else. If you don’t have any experience, you will be guided gently in the most supportive atmosphere to start your journey of discovery the right way. If you come with experience, expect to deepen your understanding, learn subtle new skills and be rejuvenated and energized in your passions.
Come to the weekend with a desire to explore your own personal power and you will leave enriched. By the end of the weekend you will know what your own personal dominant femme style is, have learned how to project it, how to own your own power, and play skills including negotiating to get what you (and your partner!) want. The weekend is taught in a safe, supportive environment where you will be encouraged and supported but never asked to do more than you are comfortable with.

No matter your experience level the weekend will give you new ideas, areas to explore, more insight into your own style and the chance to network with other women finding their femme power. Since the emphasis is not on just drilling technical skills, you'll have a chance to focus on exactly what kind of dominant you are/want to be without the "performance anxiety" of demonstrating new skills or having to provide an experience for one's partner.

At the Hyatt Regency near San Francisco airport, a 4 star hotel. ForteFemme has its own large private suite. The atmosphere is relaxed & comfortable with attendance capped at 10 women to allow for space to stretch and comfy lounge chairs for all!

Privacy and Confidentiality: The hotel staff are asked not to disturb the seminar. They are informed that the event is a women’s empowerment weekend, ensuring your complete privacy. Our own ForteFemme staff handle all the catering. Vegetarian options available upon request.

The Hyatt offers good weekend room rates if you wish to stay, otherwise there are a variety of accommodation options to suit all budgets in the vicinity. As this is a small event, there is no special event rate for the attendees.

New York location:

An elegant private loft in the Murray Hill/Midtown South area. Discreet, comfortable and accessible. It’s near many hotels and lovely restaurants.

Students' ages cover a wide range, from their twenties to their fifties; most are in their thirties and upward. Their experience levels in SM vary widely from zero to very experienced. Some are involved in the SM cultures and communities, others have experience with other alternative erotic cultures, while many are not involved in either.

Most have college education and higher. Occupations range from medical, law, administrative, education, home makers and even students. From time to time, professional dominants even take this course to recharge their passion personal play time.

They are all women invested in finding what truly fulfills them and how to create passionate experiences with their partners.

This is entirely up to you! During the instruction times of Friday night, Saturday and Sunday morning, it’s best to wear comfortable clothing.

If you have a pair of shoes you want to learn to flog in, do bring them.

If you have tools or toys you want to learn how to use better, please bring them.

If you have tools and toys you are particularly good at, please bring them to share your knowledge and experience

For the Sunday afternoon lab time, we encourage you to bring tools and toys you want to practice with. Additionally, bring clothing, shoes and any accessory that brings out your “power femme” – that place where you feel sexy and powerful. For some people this might be the genre of clothing considered “fetish wear”, but for others it may be a suit or a favorite dress.

In short, depth and personal access to Midori. Midori is highly experienced at imparting a lot of knowledge in 2 hours but this weekend gives her a chance to get to know all the students well and to tailor the curriculum to suit individual needs. You will be working hands on with Midori for the whole weekend including time for Q&A’s, social time and also a chance to pull her aside and ask those “one on one” questions.

Often an experienced female teaching assistant will join, who is also there to help and answer questions.

Think of this as three days of concentrated “brain-dump” and coaching from Midori.

On Saturday evening Midori invites you to join her in a personally guided tour of kink with opportunity for fun and further education.

San Francisco field trip includes:

Transport to the field trip and back to the ForteFemme venue. Arranged by need.

Personalized shopping adventure at a renown local SM store. This is your opportunity to ask questions to Midori about any piece of equipment. The staff will be ready and willing to help you with any questions or request

Dinner with Midori (at own cost at a reasonable priced restaurant with vegetarian options)

Visit to a play party at local dungeon or kinky play space for free. If you’ve never been to an SM party, think of this as your guided urban safari to the fabled underground culture. Walk around with Midori or a facility ambassador, observe and ask any questions. No need to play – your only expectation is just to be polite. We’ll stay for about an hour. If you’re already familiar with play parties, this is your time to play or practice. If you wish to stay and play, please arrange your own transportation back to your accommodations.

Wicked Grounds kinky café. We'll sit down at this excellent café and discuss the evening’s adventures before turning in for the night.

New York field trip includes:

Transport to the field trip and back to the ForteFemme venue. Arranged by need.

Personalized shopping adventure at Purple Passion, an exceptional local fetish store. This is your opportunity to ask questions to Midori about any piece of equipment. The staff will be ready and willing to help you with any questions or request. The store will stay open just for us! Students and their partners will also receive a special ForteFemme 15% on any purchase during the evening, 10% coupon for future shopping, refreshments and special gifts.

Dinner with Midori (at own cost at a reasonable priced restaurant with vegetarian options)

Sunday afternoon concludes with Lab Time for all students. This is a chance to put your new found knowledge and confidence into practice! The only requirement for graduation is a successful hypothetical negotiation of a play scene with your lab partner. This may be a scene that’s entirely theoretical, one that can be played that day, or potentially at a future date. You are not obliged to do anything else although most students choose to at least practice skills and many take that opportunity to play. Some use this time to interview with greater skills their bottoms and submissive to hone their “mind-reading” skills and learn from experienced bottoms. No one is expected to be naked. There’s no expectation for erotic or sexual interaction, although there may be scenes played by other students that include these elements. There are lovely discreet and private areas for the more modest as well as open areas to play for the more adventurous.

As a reference some of the scenes students have experimented with during previous ForteFemme Lab Times have include

Various types of bondage

Spanking

Flogging

Canes

Teasing

Command Voice

Protocol establishment

Service orientated massage

Pampering bath of the dominant

Tea servicet

If you have a partner you can bring, great! Midori will still ask you to negotiate with your partner to show you’ve understood the negotiation skills taught during the weekend.

If you can’t bring someone Midori will match you with a “training bottom” from her extensive network of trusted people. You will be matched with someone who enjoys the type of activities you want to explore within your gender/orientaion preferences. All scenes are conducted in the teaching suite and supervised by Midori and her teaching assistant.

Each woman who graduated had a different look than they did when we began. The nine of us bonded over our own journeys, and rejoiced in the fact that we were not alone in our quest. The nine of us all got something back that we desperately needed, and that was ourselves. I learned that all of my weird facets are to be embraced and not shunned. I learned to be unafraid of the woman that lurks inside me that is wholly terrifying and a force to be reckoned with. That is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received, and I thankful to Midori every day for it. Vanessa Pinto, Blogger, Huffington Post

Between the charts on power and sensation, the extremely hot and creative demonstrations and having the opportunity to put our learning into practice with sexy lab partners I now feel more confident actualizing my desires. And seriously I can’t stop fantasizing about all the new kinky things I want to do to the hot people around me. —Ginger C.

The seminar taught me how to negotiate a scene, to find my inner domme strength and always remember the scene is about what it does for me, as well as negotiating aftercare and how to end the scene. And flogging. These were technical skills, but what I really got out of the seminar was the confidence to get what I want out of any scene. —Buffy L.

I arrived a newbie who was scared, undereducated, and unsure of whether I would see the weekend through. …. I left the weekend, still a newbie, but one with a greater awareness and understanding of alternative sexual appetites, a lightening up of my perspective, and with an increased compassion, love and understanding for myself and my sweetie’s desires.... I would say to any woman considering this weekend: You will get out of the experience what you put into it. GO FOR IT, whatever your ‘IT’ is. If you don’t know, you will find ‘IT’! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. —Tina H.